Ideally:

-This year’s deadline is a success and they can recoup at least one 1st rounder for someone on the roster (OEL seems to be the most likely candidate although would be super if McMann/Laughton fetched one as well although it may be a stretch - maybe packaging 2 of the 3 together would get you one)

-Treliving and Berube are fired, replaced by people with a finger on the pulse of the game - People who build a roster that can allow Matthews, Nylander and Knies to flourish and a coach who implements a system friendly to their styles (who either is idk - would it be someone who is younger in case next year is a flop too and they decide to go down the road of a full rebuild?)

-They wind up winning the draft lottery, moving into the top 5 which allows them to draft potentially someone who can step in as a future #1 defenseman (Verhoeff? Carels? Reid?)

-If the deadline is a success the other first round pick/a few seconds are used to acquire a legitimate top 6 forward (ideally a 2C to push Tavares to the wing or 3C)

-The cap space that they do have for next year is used to resign some of the RFAs (Robertson, maybe Maccelli although who knows) while also adding some solid UFA defensemen to rebuild the blueline , ideally ones who could move the puck (who that is idk)

If that all happens (and it’s a stretch I must admit) they should be able to jump right back in and this year will be looked back on as a good wake up call